BeChloe Week Soulmates - The Gypsy
by RJRMovieFan
Summary: Chloe Beale is drawn every year to the traveling fair, and the mysterious gypsy girl.


**A/N: Agh! I was so close. I wrote this, almost in one day. Curse falling asleep early. It's my first entry into this year's BeChloe Week, and it's a bit different from anything I ever wrote. I hope you like. **

**BeChloe Week - Soulmates**

_**The Gypsy**_

When Chloe Beale was seven, she discovered a book in her mother's bookshelf. She was forbidden to read from these books, her father only wanting her to read from the Bible, but the cover was so very pretty – it was beautifully decorated with vines, flowers, and various animals, all surrounding the image of a beautiful woman with fire red hair. The woman's hair ensured Chloe would open it; and she was so glad she did. For when she opened it up and started to read, it talked about something called '_The Red Mark of Fate_'.

According to the book, there is an invisible thread which runs from a person's heart and stretches through time, space, and distance to the heart of the person you are fated to love forever; someone who is meant to stay by your side for the rest of your life.

As you might imagine, the concept of such pure love excited seven-year-old Chloe Beale to no end. It wasn't long after reading the book though, Chloe began to worry she didn't have a string, and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to find the owner of the other end. Her father was very strict with her and her brothers, and she was rarely allowed out of her family's manor. Chloe desperately wanted a string, and she worried that there wasn't someone out there for her. According to the book, not everyone got a string; not everyone has a _soulmate_.

Sometimes, Chloe wished she had never read that book, and knew about the strings. They had become a burden for her...

...sometimes.

When Chloe turned thirteen, her father surprised her and her entire family with a trip to a traveling fair. It seemed he had business with some of the merchants, and thought it would be a grand time for all the family. Quite excited Chloe was as she rode in the carriage with her family to the traveling fair that had setup in the next county over.

It was an amazing place that sung to Chloe.

She quickly ditched her family, which earned her a switching later of course, and went about exploring the entirety of this mysterious place. Before her were rows and rows of food and wares, and game stands, which stretched out across the entire field. Each stall highlighted by a gaudy display advertising its contest or the wares they were trying to sell.

Even more exciting for Chloe was the sea of visitors that were mingling among the stalls. Chloe just loved people watching as she wandered through the different attractions and booths.

For some reason she couldn't quite pinpoint, Chloe was drawn to the fringe of the fair. It was quieter there, and the stalls were less commercial or gaudy, though the people manning them seemed much more interesting.

Chloe was looking at some homemade quilts when a noise caught her attention. From her vantage, she noticed a small crowd of people had gathered around something that had their undivided attention. Curious, Chloe moved to get a better view, and was surprised by what she saw. It was a young gypsy girl with long flowing brown locks that had just a touch of soft curls. The gypsy girl wore what Chloe assumed was a dress, but it was so colorful with patches and shawls that draped all over her there was hardly any part of her that wasn't covered by colors, and each piece of cloth was adorned with stars or moons. She had two gold hoop earrings, one in each ear, and a purple sash that wrapped around her forehead keeping her hair back. It had a symbol of a shooting star, strategically placed so it sat in the middle of her forehead.

The girl had a knowing smirk on her face, charming everyone around her as they gathered around with wonder and excitement. She was a new face. A gypsy. Maybe that was why Chloe was drawn towards this mysterious girl.

She knew about gypsies. They were peculiar enigmatic beings who were different, extraordinaire, otherworldly…

But Chloe had never actually seen a gypsy. There was nothing peculiar about her, but Chloe could sense something extraordinary.

Chloe maneuvered herself until she found a perfect spot to observe the young tiny gypsy. It was a good enough distance to see the gypsy girl from afar without drawing attention to herself as well. The gypsy girl was beautiful; the most beautiful person Chloe had ever seen. More beautiful than even her late mother, who had always held that particular mantle for young Chloe.

Watching the gypsy Chloe couldn't help the small laugh as she watched the tiny gypsy dance about. There was something truly amazing as the petite brunette hopped and skipped about going from one person to the next, all the while humming a delightful tune, as she kept rhythm with a tambourine.

And Chloe noticed that at all times the young gypsy wore a sly smirk upon her face; one that suggested she had knowledge no one else did.

And then her eyes were on Chloe's.

The gypsy's eyes were on her, and hers were on the gypsy's.

Chloe froze, the gypsy's storm blue eyes were locked on to her sky-blue eyes.

There was a sinking feeling in her gut as the gypsy girl continued to stare at her. She didn't stop dancing, or making music, yet her eyes never left Chloe's.

What was the tiny gypsy doing?

Was she studying her?

Did she realize who she was?

The girl only smirked more, and then turned away from Chloe.

It was as if a spell had been broken. Chloe quickly got out of there the moment the gypsy girl looked away.

A year went by before she went back to the fair. A year of dreaming about storm blue eyes, and a knowing smirk. Her father again had business with some merchants, and again took his family, though Chloe's brothers were given strict instructions to watch their little sister. It made it a bit more difficult for Chloe to go her own way, but relatively soon, she was free of them, and again Chloe felt herself drawn to the fringe of the fair.

And there she was, the petite gypsy girl who had haunted Chloe's dreams every night since she first spotted her.

The small gypsy had again setup a little area for herself, and in this area, the gypsy girl danced about, even as she played a happy little toon on a simple flute. Chloe was mesmerized, as if the gypsy girl was the fabled pied-piper.

Chloe was surer than ever that the brunette gypsy girl was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. The gypsy was now wearing a blue dress that flowed like water and swayed elegantly in the wind. Chloe couldn't help notice that the color of the dress matched her own eyes. The girl had also added two more earrings to each of her ears.

The petite gypsy was playing an upbeat tune on her flute, as she danced along to the rhythm. The tune was infectious, and the crowd quickly joined in, clapping along with the beat.

Her performance was drawing a small but ever-growing crowd around her, who also appreciated the girl's performance as they clapped to her beat.

The music she played was uplifting and joyful, and she smirked happily as she played with no sign of tiring.

Chloe lingered for over an hour, watching and listening as the gypsy danced and played her tune, before Chloe finally turned and left.

She wasn't ready to move closer.

The gypsy girl was back again when Chloe went to the fair the following year. Chloe didn't even wait for her father and brothers. She had to see the gypsy in person, having dreamed about her again, every night. The first morning the fair opened, Chloe was there, immediately making her way to where she knew the gypsy would set herself up.

The gypsy was playing and dancing again, and though they made eye contact, neither made any attempt to speak. Chloe was amazed at the young woman's musical ability. This year she had a stringed lute, and later she played a dulcimer. The harmonies the young girl was able to pull from those strings was truly amazing.

Chloe returned to the fair every day it was there, much to the consternation of her father. She suffered numerous punishments, but they never swayed her from not going.

Each time she returned, the gypsy girl would always be dancing, and playing a happy tune. It was almost always on a different instrument, one time she was playing on a fiddle, the next time on a flute, later on a balalaika. Chloe was always amazed both by the girl's playing, and by her beautiful outfits. Like with the instruments, the gypsy always wore something different each time Chloe saw her, and each outfit seemed to make her more beautiful than the last.

Chloe returned to the fair each day, but never stepped closer to the gypsy, than the day she first saw her, three years before.

Throughout the day, more and more people came, attracted by the girl's beautiful melodies, and entertained by her energetic dancing. The crowd grew so large, Chloe lost site of the petite young musician. She tried to find a better location to see the girl, but couldn't find one. In the end, she just found a place to sit, where she could listen to the wondrous sounds the young gypsy was able to create.

When the sun was setting, the gypsy ended her show, and Chloe collected herself so she could make her way home. She did not look forward to seeing her father, she was sure another twenty lashes with the switch was in her future, but it was so worth it.

"You're like a flower."

Chloe spun about, and felt her mouth go dry, as there stood the gypsy girl, signature smirk in place.

The gypsy said again, "You're a flower, still not yet ready to bloom, yet so willing to be here."

She stared, blinking at the gypsy girl, as if she were a unicorn. The young brunette girl was even more beautiful up close, and the only word Chloe managed to say, was, "Yes."

The gypsy's smirk grew into a smile, she walked past Chloe, whispering as she passed by, "See you next year Chloe Beale."

For the next year a couple questions repeatedly ran through Chloe Beale's head. First and foremost was, _How did she know her name?_

But there were others, like, _What did she mean I'm like a flower, ready to bloom?_

Or last, but not least, _Why do I keep returning? What draws me to that place?_

They had never met or exchanged even a couple words before this last summer.

_How did she know?_

The ceiling in her room provided Chloe with no answers as she stared up at it many a night. All she knew was that she would be at the fair the moment it opened this coming summer.

Not for the first time, Chloe fell asleep with echoes of the gypsy girl's music playing in her mind.

Of course, Chloe's father had different plans. He forbade her from going to the fair, and even locked her in her room the night before the fair was to open. She had sensed that there was a chance this would happen. He had taken switches to her a couple times throughout the year, confident her could beat some sense into Chloe.

It hadn't taken.

If anything, it only galvanized the young redhead.

For the days leading up to the fair, Chloe had quietly gathered together all the items she would need, and created a small travel pack.

Early in the morning of the fair, well before the rooster's crow, Chloe pried open the one window to her room. She had worked on the window for months, loosening it, so when the time came, she could spirit away.

Now free of the childhood home that had become a prison, Chloe slung her small pack over her shoulder, and dressed in her best traveling dress and cloak, began the journey to the fair.

She technically made it to the fair, even before it opened. The sun had not even broken the horizon as she entered the fairgrounds.

Except something was different.

In the spot where her gypsy girl had performed these last few years, there was a tinkerer's wagon, and a tinkerer, readying to fix whatever people brought to be mended.

Chloe stared in confusion, unsure of what she was seeing. How could the gypsy not be here?

"Thought you would never get here."

Chloe spun about, and there was the gypsy, but dressed completely different than Chloe had ever seen her. Where before she had always been dressed in flowing skirts and colorful if patchworked dresses, now the petite brunette was dressed in form fitted traveling trousers, a loose-fitting peasants blouse, with a leather vest. Across her back was a travel pack, similar though larger to the one Chloe carried across her back. In addition, she had a guitar slung crisscross her back, a fiddle hanging from the pack, and other various instruments tucked into pockets, or tied to her pack.

The only item the gypsy had on that Chloe had ever seen before was the purple scarf, wrapped around her head, and tied in the back.

The gypsy girl smirked at Chloe, and asked, "Are you ready?"

"For what?" The question slipped from Chloe's lips before she had time to think about it. She was actually surprised her voice even worked in the presence of the young gypsy beauty.

The petite brunette's smirk only grew, and Chloe could tell the girl was holding onto a secret. Her answer was both vague and to the point. "On our adventure." She gestured towards the road Chloe had walked to get to the fair, but indicated the direction away from Chloe's home.

A bit bewildered, Chloe asked, "You want me to travel with you?"

The brown-haired gypsy girl's smirk went away, and was replaced by a warm and gentle smile. "I want you to travel the world with me. I want to go everywhere and anywhere with you."

"I don't even know your name," Chloe said.

The smirk returned to the gypsy's lips. "Yes, you do."

And like that, the name was flashing in Chloe's mind like lightning across a night's sky. "Beca." The name rolled off Chloe's tongue without any thought.

Beca's smirk became a smile again; bright and accepting, though Chloe detected some sense of relief.

Chloe's face split into a huge smile, "You're Beca!"

"I am," Chloe's smile must have been infectious, because Beca's matched hers.

"Beca… Uh?"

"Just Beca, never had a last name," the petite gypsy replied. She looked Chloe directly in the eyes the whole time they had been talking, it helped Chloe trust the words the gypsy was saying.

"How do I know your name? How do you know mine?" Chloe had a million questions running through her head, but these were the first two that came to mind.

"Because we're anam," Beca answered. When Chloe gave her an inquisitive look, so Beca explained, "We're tethered together by a string of fate."

"We're soulmates!" Chloe declared.

"Yes," Beca smirked and took a step closer.

Suddenly Chloe had wrapped the smaller woman into a tight embrace, and she was crashing their lips together.

Chloe had never kissed anyone before, yet this felt so right, so wonderful. It was amazing!

Beca responded to the kiss with equal measure. The gypsy's lips moved hungrily over Chloe's, and despite it being her first kiss, Chloe gave as good as she got. Beca traced her tongue along the seam of Chloe's lips until they part. In response, the redhead moaned into the kiss, which prompted the gypsy to take hold of Chloe's sides, and pull her in tight. Chloe relished in the way that the gypsy's body quivered against her own, and responded as best she could.

Chloe's enthusiasm made Beca laugh, which just delighted the redhead.

The two women stood their kissing for a good while, lost in each other, till finally both were temporarily sated. They rested their foreheads against one another, and breathed in the other.

A bit out of breath, Beca asked, "So are you ready?"

Chloe grinned at Beca's question, and replied, "I am so ready."

Hand in hand, the two young women set out on the road, not knowing where it would take them, but knowing it would take them together.

Emily pulled on her mother's hand. It was her first time at the fair, and she wanted to see and hear everything. She pulled her mother from one side of the fair to the other, and back again. She ended up pulling her to the furthest fringe of the fair, and only stopped when she caught sight of the gypsies.

There was a pair of them, and they were the most beautiful young women Emily had ever seen. One was a bit shorter than the other, with beautiful brown hair, that curled just a touch, and she had a smirk that suggested she knew things that others didn't. The other stood out because her hair was fiery red, and she had the most natural smile Emily had ever witnessed. Both of the gypsy's were wearing colorful patchwork dresses that flowed about them as they danced about.

Emily pulled her mom to a stop, not far from the two gypsies as the petite brunette gypsy began to play a cheerful melody on her lute. She was quickly accompanied by the redhead, who played a small fife.

The melody the two played was fun and upbeat, and they sounded wonderful together. Their music was truly mesmerizing.

They had played their wonderful tune through once, when the redhead put away the fife, and began to sing, while the brunette kept strumming the guitar.

_Early one morning,_

_Just as the sun was rising,_

_I heard a young maid sing,_

_In the valley below._

The redhead had the most beautiful voice Emily had ever heard.

_Oh, don't deceive me,_

_Oh, never leave me,_

_Oh, know my love is pure_

_And my promise strong_

Her singing was awe inspiring, and then it got better as the brunette, still playing her guitar, joined in.

_Oh, gay is the garland,_

_And fresh are the roses,_

_I've culled from the garden,_

_To place upon thy brow._

The two gypsy women looked at one another as they sang, and Emily was sure for the first time in her young life that she knew what love could truly be, for she saw it on the faces of the two gypsy's and heard it in their voices as they sang together. For truly they were really singing to each other, and the rest were only lucky to have the chance to hear it at all.

_**~Fin~**_

**Please write a review, I'm interested in seeing what people think of this. It's very different for me.**


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